Father says Nashville woman shot homeless man in self-defense

The father of a 26-year-old woman is speaking out in defense of his daughter, charges with the attempted murder of a 54 year old homeless man.

Katie Quackenbush's father Jesse Quackenbush is a Texas attorney. He said this incident is ruining the young mom and aspiring musician.

Quackenbush claimed his daughter shot at the homeless man in self defense last month.

According to the Metro Nashville Police, Katie Quackenbush critically wounded Gerald Melton, 54, on August 26. He remains in the hospital as of Tuesday night.

Police said Melton was disturbed by exhaust fumes and loud music from a Porsche SUV while trying to sleep on a 19th Avenue sidewalk around 3 a.m.

Melton asked Quakenbush to move the SUV, and an argument ensued. Police said Melton and Quackenbush yelled at each other.

"This man then comes down to my daughter's vehicle and starts screaming that's she's a Bleep bleep bleep and he was going to kill her if she didn't turn her music down," Jesse Quackenbush said.

After Melton walked back to the sidewalk where he attempted to sleep, MNPD said Quackenbush got out of the SUV with a weapon. As the argument continued, she shot Melton twice. He suffered a critical abdomen wound.

Jesse Quackenbush said his daughter got out of her car with her gun just in case to safely walk her friend to her car. That's when Katie Quackenbush's father said Melton approached her again threatening to kill her.

"My daughter told him 'I have a gun. Get the F away from me'," Jesse Quackenbush said. "She pulled off one round as a means of warning, not intending to hit him or kill him. She thought she pointed far enough away from him to just scare him away, and he kept coming and she shot another round."

Strianse said he contacted the district attorney and the Metro Nashville Police Department a few days after the shooting letting them know Katie Quackenbush wanted to come forward.

"In a perfect world, I wish they would have done a little more investigating because Mr. Quackenbush received an unsolicited call from a business owner, a lawyer who lives and works in the area, who has been accosted by this man for the last year or so in the same way Katie was assaulted and accosted that night," Strianse said.

That nearby business owner said Gerald Melton also threatened to kill him on multiple occasions. He said he is giving Metro investigators surveillance video of the incident captured on one of his security cameras.

Katie Quackenbush was charged with attempted murder and released on a $25,000 bond.